Button placements are much the same together with camera placements and sensors for either sides of both phones. It’s the same fingerprint scanner placement mounted at the rear underneath the main camera and non-back-lit navigation keys at the front chin.

Some key differences will come in the form of the protruding rear camera for the Zero 4 compared to the flushed version on the Max.

This will come down to user preference so go ahead and write down which one won it for you in the comments section below.

Display

It’s an all IPS LCD battle with 5.5 inch at 1080p display for both our contenders.

In terms of color accuracy, both are at par with one another. When it comes to overall quality, the same display on the Max seemed tinted comparing.

This tests better under direct sunlight where the Zero 4 showed more details over the Max.

The Zero 4 takes this ever so slightly.

Camera

Both contenders will be sporting 16MP rear snappers with laser autofocus sensors for your point-and-shoot photography.

For daylight shooting, the Zenfone 3 5.5 aimed for sharper output over the Zero 4 that could not make heads or tails of what to focus on.

Indoor shooting revealed the Zenfone 3 5.5 focuses of color vibrancy over the softer version on the Zero 4.

The Zero 4 focused on minimizing noise in exchange for detail handling while the Zenfone 3 Max had grains starting to creep into the frame.

The LED flash gave the Zero 4 a brighter output while Zenfone 3 5.5 made our stuffed toy stand out with sharper details.

Both can record videos up to 1080p @ 30fps, where the Zero 4 brandishes Optical Image Stabilization in tow.

Set at FHD @ 30fps. The Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 resulted in sharper shots compared to the more fluid playback on the Zero 4 with overexposure in the mix.

The 8MP selfie shooter of the Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 was on point in colors and exposure but lacks clarity. While the Zero 4 was sharper on the take but overexposed.

This could have been a tight battle if not for the Zero 4’s lack of subject focusing.

Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 will take this one.

Performance

The Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 was released last year but carries the power-efficient Snapdragon 430 quad-core CPU, in contrast to the Mediatek 6753 octa-core CPU built inside the Zero 4. Both are paired with 3GB of RAM.

Both phones are based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow underneath different flavors like the XOS for the Zero 4 and ZenUI for the Max complete with bloatware and some skins into the fray.

The results continued to translate in real-world application when we played Real Racing 3 and Gangstar Vegas 4. It was a much better experience with the Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 that provided higher frame rates, comparing.

Fingerprint speed and accuracy went in favor to the Zero 4 performing better overall.

The Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 is a much dependable daily driver making it the winner this round.

Battery

The Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 carries a 4100mAh battery pack while the Zero 4 packs in a 3100mAh of juice.

Both lasted at 4hours of screen-on-time where the Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 pulled ahead on standby time with 4 more hours over the 25hours for the Zero 4.

Charging the smaller battery, of course, required only an hour and 30mins while the larger pack took almost 3 hours to fill.

Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 wins this one by sheer endurance.

Audio

For speaker quality, the difference in volume intensity was easily heard when cranked up to the highest setting. The Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 kept audio quality in check while the Zero 4 blasted what it could with a touch of quality compensation in tow.

We’re giving this one a tie

Pricing and Verdict

The Infinix Zero 4 is unofficially available in the gray market at P10,990 or $220 USD compared to the Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 at P5 more..

What do you think of our phone-off this round? Let us know at the comments section below.

Hi! I'm Jade, an Electronics and Communications Engineer and tech enthusiast. I am the editor-in-chief here at ManilaShaker and on our YouTube channel. If you have questions, suggestions or anything we could talk about you can find me Instagram and Twitter @jadejardinico.

Manila Shaker is a tech media producing insightful and helpful content for our local and growing international audience. Our goal is to create a premier Philippine digital consumer electronics resource that provides the most objective reviews and comparisons globally.